Chapter 7: Setting the Board Part 1

Chapter 7: Setting the Board: Part 1

Taylor

I awoke from a thin sleep to a silent ballroom.

Dawn poured through the cracks between drapes, leaving blades of light over the sleeping figures around me.

A month of chaos and constant interruptions hadn't seemed to have shaken my body from the routine I had before the Slaughterhouse emerged, because I still woke up bright and early.

I quietly rose, faint snoring and sleeping bodies all around. I placed my sleeping bag back on the table I had gotten it from, beside only two others that had been returned before mine.

All that was left was to get ready.

My ribs didn't twinge, and a few stretches made me more restless than the soreness I had expected.

I changed into some workout clothes, a pair of black shorts and a white sports shirt, and went for a jog around Beacon.

The perimeter around Beacon was much longer than my usual runs, but Aura warded off any fatigue, and running helped me unwind.

I had rammed into some of the White Fang members by accident because I wasn't used to my speed. Grimm would be less forgiving if I did the same thing, so it was also an opportunity to practice.

Having enhanced strength and speed was different. I stumbled the first few times I engaged my Aura, my missing limb not helping my stride. The instantaneous bursts of acceleration took some time to get used to, but by the time I finished my lap, I was no longer tripping or rocketing off.

After a trip to the communal showers, I changed into my temporary combat uniform—I'd be using it until I found enough spiders to weave a new suit… or something. I hesitated on making a suit like before. A return to form wasn't what I was after.

With Aura, spider silk wasn't explicitly needed, but extra protection and preparation were always smart.

Maybe I would ask Coco if she had any ideas. Her focus wasn't on just looking good, it was using the best equipment and making it look good. Knowing what Remnant had to offer for armor was right up her alley.

For now, I wore black tights, a black, fitted turtleneck, and a pair of dark gray combat boots.

Aura made the weight of metal armor negligible, which I took advantage of.

White armor plates went over my shins, and a gloveless sleeve of black fabric covered my forearm, cushioning the white vambrace strapped to it. The edges of the trapezoid plates were almost sharp enough to cut.

A charcoal vest that crossed over itself to make a line that ran up the side of my abs and zipped diagonally across my chest to close. Gray lines—the same gray as my Aura—ran parallel to the zipper while straight lines that jerked in different directions but never crossed went up the sides. The collar walled around my neck without touching it, white trim around its edge. Four small silver buttons decorated the stomach of the vest while more white armor plates formed spaulders.

Another piece of white armor curved along the back of my neck and followed my spine down to the height of my belly button.

Next was a white belt that split along its length, only joining at the buckle and back, so that the strap was secured round the top and bottom of my hips. The four straps of the belt met in the back to secure the sheath of my sword, all held together by a metal clip.

With all its accents and line decorations, the outfit looked more complex than the relative simplicity of my cape costumes, but it fit in with Remnant. Image could be important, another tool on the belt, but I still felt dumb wearing it. Practicality buried beneath too many accessories and flair.

Bugs gathered and hid underneath my armor and in my hair.

Nervousness settled on my skin like a cool breeze, and in my stomach like a cramp. I could only nibble at my breakfast.

My bugs finished a second underground den and moved on to another. I turned on the breeding cycles of another group of bugs and began the process of building up my swarm in the first den.

"All incoming first-year students, please prepare your equipment for the initiation and report to the cliffs south of Beacon near the marker I have sent to your Scrolls as soon as possible," Goodwitch's voice announced through the P.A. system throughout the school.

I went back to the lockers where I had stored the rest of my belongings.

Other students had made their way into the large room, most already changed. Bugs slipped under folds of armor or into long hair. Mostly gnats and small flies, all in places where they wouldn't be noticed.

The lockers had a rocket functionality so they could launch toward a location marked on your Scroll. A quick and ridiculous way to retrieve weapons or ammo. Until the students got assigned their dorm rooms, they were also being used to hold all of our belongings.

I made a mental note to see about getting a terrarium or two that could survive the landing of the rocket locker. An instant way to deliver reinforcements for my swarm.

A holster with my gun nestled within was strapped around my thigh, a knife was in my boot, and my sword was snug in its sheath. I loaded the Dust rounds into two spare magazines and tucked them into pouches on my belt, then tied the sleeve of my shirt over my missing arm.

I was ready.

Around the corner, my bugs caught a flash of motion.

The motion was perfect, mechanical, efficient.

A spear of gold and red blurred past and pinned a boy by his hoodie to a pillar down the lane in front of me.

The spear-thrower walked into view. She had green meadow eyes and crimson hair, more red than fire, than blood, than sunsets. An Amazonian body adorned in golden bronze armor, almost Grecian in design.

It had happened so quickly. There were a few parahumans I had bugged that moved as fast, but none with that degree of skill as well.

Well, except Alexandria, but just having to use Alexandria as a comparison spoke of her skill.

This was what Aura could do, and she was using it to bully some boy.

A high school bully, of all the things I had to deal with.

Then, the haughty girl from yesterday stepped from behind the bully.

She wore a skirted dress that didn't reach her knees, a 'coat' that wrapped around her arms and upper back only, and heeled boots—all noticeably high quality. Nothing that I would have considered a Huntress would wear, and definitely not something I would have thought of as combat attire.

The only thing that showed she was ready for battle was a thin rapier on her belt; it had some kind of revolver casing in its guard.

Her hair was pulled into a small ponytail on the right side of the back of her head and was pinned with a tiara-styled clip. The unorthodox placement of the hairdo rebelled against the strait-laced princess image she presented.

My first thought was of Emma and Sophia. An idiotic shadow of a memory that didn't have a place in the moment, but it still cast itself over the girls.

It was so insignificant, yet my chest tightened and a frown flashed across my face. I blinked the annoyance away as quickly as it came.

School was making me remember all the simpler, pettier things I used to have to deal with; or maybe I was reaching out for the familiar, even if it was unimportant and unwanted stuff.

"Again, all first-year students please report to Beacon cliff immediately," another announcement stated.

The entitled girl sauntered past the pinned boy, giving a haughty scoff as she did, then she noticed me and scowled, but continued to the cliffs.

The red-haired girl walked by and pulled out her spear. "It was nice meeting you," she said in what sounded like genuine earnestness. I wasn't sure if she was mocking the boy or not, but her apparent association with the white-haired girl didn't give her tone credence.

The boy mumbled something and both Yang and Ruby walked up to him.

Yang's combat uniform consisted of a tan short-sleeved jacket with black cuffs over a yellow shirt that showed off her midriff and chest. A matching colored belt with a pleated piece of fabric wrapped around her waist and back, leaving an opening that showed a pair of black short shorts. It was an outfit that shouted confidence.

Not something I would have considered for battle, but technically it was better than the haughty girl's choice.

Yellow metal bracelets with pointed plates were on each wrist, resting on black fingerless gloves. Her weapons?

Ruby continued the odd outfit trend with a black and red dress, covered with a corset and long sleeves… What was the word? Lolita? Damn Imp, for making me know what that was.

A bright, red hooded cape was pinned on her shoulders by tiny, silver crosses that matched the large segmented rose ornament on her belt. Little Red Riding Hood in the flesh.

Only the Amazon had an outfit that looked ready for combat so far, despite the short pencil skirt.

Yang noticed me. "Hey Taylor, you catch Casanova's little show here?"

"I caught the spear part."

"Actually, I think the pillar caught it," Yang said, amusement at her own quip shining in her grin.

She was joking, so maybe the bullying hadn't been as extreme as I thought. That didn't mean I excused it though, and hurling spears around wasn't acceptable either.

"Alright, I guess we'll see ya on the field. See you there, and have fun with your friends!" She gave Ruby a pointed look while nodding at Jaune and I.

"Y-Yang?!" Ruby squeaked, but the blonde was already dashing out the door. "Um, uh, morning, Taylor! H-how was your sleep?" Ruby asked, with nervous energy. Probably worried about the initiation.

"Fine, thank you."

"Oh, uh cool. That's cool…" Ruby drew out her words.

"A little help?" Jaune piped up, still slumped against the pillar.

"Oh! Sorry, Jaune." She pulled Jaune's arm around her to help him walk.

I waited for them to set the pace, but no one moved. Jaune looked as confused as I was, eyeing Ruby, who was stealing glances at me. Did she need something?

"Umm, sword! I mean, uh, I see you have a sword, Taylor," Ruby asked, awkwardly yet with passion.

"I do." Was she trying to get an idea of my capabilities, or just scoping out the competition?

"Yes! I mean no! I mean… W-What does it do? What's it called? I got Crescent Rose here." She patted a big slab of red metal strapped behind her waist, almost hidden within her cape.

"You named your weapon?"

"Of course!"

Aura could be transferred into a weapon, but Aura was harder and less efficient the farther from your body you tried to use it. Fist fighting with Grimm was viable because of this. Though, the durability and use of a weapon made up for the loss of Aura effectiveness when filling your weapon with Aura.

If Aura did have an efficiency factor for familiar things, then if I named my weapon to personalize it, would using Aura through it be easier?

"It's just a sword. Same with the gun." I was never good with names anyway.

"Oh, like Jaune's weapon then. A fan of the classics?" Ruby asked.

"Sure."

"Ah." She proceeded to open and close her mouth but no words came.

Eventually, she focused on the path ahead with a cringe on her face. Was not having a named weapon that amateurish?

I joined Ruby on the other side of Jaune wordlessly, my height better suited to support him than her's, and we started toward the initiation.

"Thanks, Ruby. You too, uh…" Jaune paused as he realized he didn't know me.

"Taylor."

"Jaune. Jaune Arc… Have we met before?"

"Technically, no. We did cross each other on your way out the airship to Beacon though."

His head slumped. "Does everybody know I barfed?!" Jaune groaned.

"Not everyone. Just everyone we've talked to, vomit boy," Ruby said with a snicker.

Jaune's groaning was the picture of social defeat.

Grassy plains ended in a craggy cliff that overlooked a sea of emerald leaves, spreading endlessly into the distance. Hills and mountains were faint outlines against the blue sky.

The students lined up on individual square panels decorated with Beacon's logo: a pair of twin crossed hand axes surrounded by a circle with a laurel wreath.

I separated from Ruby and Jaune and headed toward the last empty pad near the front of the line, surveying the other participants as I went.

The students were calm. Some, like Yang and a girl with short orange hair—who was also wearing a short skirt—were excited, holding their weapons with familiarity. They were clearly used to combat, or at least, the prospect of fighting monsters.

Attacks from the Grimm must have been such a common aspect of life that all of them, especially the ones who had been trained in combat schools before applying to Beacon, had fought Grimm before.

I was at a definite disadvantage in terms of experience fighting Grimm. Not to mention Aura use.

At least, I assumed we would be fighting Grimm for the initiation, since we had been brought to an open wilderness. The bugs in the forest had landed on a boar Grimm, called a Boarbatusk from my readings, that had stepped into my range.

Regardless, the student's attitudes weren't serious enough, not when we might be in a life or death situation soon. Most were too eager; chips on their shoulders, fire in their eyes, and weapons in their hands.

Did they understand what they were in for?

How many of them would make it to graduation? How many would continue on when a friend or teammate died, leaving the safety of their walled city for the outside?

Even more so, would they be able to fight and kill something other than Grimm when it came down to it?

Grimm were evil by nature and weren't something anyone would feel any trepidation over killing.

A person though? That took something more. I knew. I remembered what it took.

I clenched my fist until the memories passed.

Hopefully, Beacon trained them to survive what the world was going to throw at them.

My bugs had found their way under the plate I was standing on. Gears and what felt like pistons… A mechanical launching mechanism.

They were going to catapult us?!

Ozpin began to speak, a mug of cocoa held comfortably in his hand. I hoped Aura helped with diabetes, for his sake.

"For years, you have trained to become warriors. And today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."

And that involves launching us off a cliff instead of just dropping us off in the forest itself?

"Now I'm sure many of you have heard about the assignment of teams. Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates. Today," Glynda announced.

A few students muttered but Ozpin didn't seem to care. "These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. So, it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well. That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."

Shit. Fuck.

I had read that Huntsmen operated in teams of four, but… I wasn't ready for what a team would need from me—what I should give.

Everything and everyone I had just lost, that I tossed to the side for my goals. I needed time to learn how not to be that person—Skitter, Weaver, or Khepri.

Dread ran down my back like cold water. I needed time to…. To change, to think, to understand; I wasn't sure which.

Insects squirmed and buzzed to the degree that I had them retreat from the area to avoid being heard or seen. It took all my concentration to not have the bugs planted on the other students thrash about too.

Focus.

"You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path or you will die," Ozpin continued, oblivious to my near emotional breakdown.

"You will be monitored and graded for the duration of your initiation." That meant cameras and surveillance throughout the forest, so I wouldn't be able to use my bugs for things besides scouting and other less obvious means then. "But our instructors will not intervene." A lie. They wouldn't let kids die during a try-out, and I didn't hear the gravity of the potential deaths in his words.

"You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. We will regard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately."

Simple enough. Although, if you were being graded on your performance and didn't do well enough, could you fail, even if you returned with a relic? I'd just have to work with what I had and hope.

"Also, some of you have noticed that there is an odd number of you present. Normally, extra participants would be put into another of the initiation rounds. However, this initiation is the last one scheduled and all the other first-year teams have already been assigned. Thus, there will be one person who will not be able to find a partner. If you find yourself in this situation, then you must retrieve the relic that is unique amongst the rest. Be warned, not only is this relic hidden, if too many of the other relics are taken before the lone student arrives, then it will be impossible to uncover, leading to the failure of the test. Retrieving the hidden relic will guarantee passing the initiation by one's self. Now, are there any questions?"

I had my mission.

Get the unique relic, skip having a partner, avoid being on a team until I was ready.

A knot in my chest sank with the gravity of the situation, blood in my ears deafened me to someone's question and Ozpin's answer.

If I didn't pass this test, there wasn't anything for me to do, or anywhere for me to go.

First, my world had been saving Dinah while trying to help in the wake of Leviathan. Jack Slash was next. For more than two years, everything was about preventing him from ending the world… which I had failed at.

There was never anything beyond that. No plans, no dreams.

Now… there was no real endgame, no destination. There was only the journey. One to try and become a person who could have done things better, who would do things better.

I didn't really care for the title or position, but becoming a Huntress was hopefully a step in the right direction.

Failure meant I would be forced to leave Beacon, with nothing but my guilt and no way to go forward.

I needed to pass this.

The bugs that had begun disabling the launch pad beneath me stopped.

Ozpin wouldn't fling students to their deaths. Aura users must be able to make the landing. Ozpin had allowed me to take the test, so I had to be skilled enough, or at least able to make the landing… hopefully. Being flung might also be a part of the test.

It would be like when I learned to do crash landings with my flight pack, only a few stories higher…

The other students crouched into stances, and many drew intricate and complex weapons. Automatic pistols with curved blades dropping from the muzzle. Yang's bracelets unfolded to become gauntlets with gun muzzles peeking out over her knuckles. The orange-haired girl had a grenade launcher that unfurled into a giant maul.

I boggled at the weapon's size.

The girl wore a short pink skirt, with pink and white shoes and gloves. Her top was white with black sleeves and had a heart-shaped boob window.

Nothing reflected the necessary strength needed for her weapon.

The chainsaw-wielding White Fang member had arms as thick as my waist, while this girl had a more toned physique, more muscular than me, but not at a bodybuilder level by any means.

With a metal clang, the first student was catapulted into the air, and I returned my focus to my inevitable flight.

The student wasn't screaming, and none of the other students looked worried, so landing without grievous injury was possible.

I quickly switched my gun ammo for my Ice Dust rounds.

Another student fired off into the sky.

Extra bugs snuck onto the student beside me. I hoped to get an idea on how to land based off what he did.

A blink, and he was gone, hurtling into the distance. I was next.

My world filled with the rush of Aura. It knitted through my muscles. Warmth like sitting by a fireplace, like a hug, like a blanket, wrapped around me.

I was careful not to pull too hard on my Aura, to bring out that feeling. It hadn't been memories that I experienced, but echoes of things I had felt, strived for, and embodied, all at once.

I bent my knees, feeling the mechanism below me whirling to life. The launchpad lurched forward, and I pushed off it.

Wind ripped around me, the trees an emerald blur, and bugs zipped through my range.

I angled my body to avoid spinning out of control, another lesson from using my flight-pack.

My flight reached its zenith, a brief moment of forward momentum without weight.

Then, I began to fall.

Chapter 7 End

Author Notes:

Praise be to Juff, Breakingamber, ccstat, Majigah, and Sigravig for their help going over this.

Changed things so that it was more important to Taylor and made Taylor's bias/opinions on things more prominent.

I had starting writing this before I had really read any RWBY fanfic, or knew about fanfic culture/steroytypes etc, so I didn't really know that an initiation scene was not only super overly done in RWBY fanfic, but most barely got beyond it. Not only that, this one doesn't really change much, but for how and when I started the series, it kinda needed to happen. Hopefully, things were different enough to be interesting.